Insights

London

On the road with Barbara Benz – each year in September, right after the illustrious Fashion Show, London suffers from design fever. Whether museums, shop, trendy bar, public space, studio, or school, all throughout the city people present, discuss, judge, and marvel at what’s currently shaking the creative scene.

The British metropolis changes into a pulsating design festival for ten days. Here, not just local darlings such as Paul Smith, Jasper Morrison, Barber Osgerby, PearsonLloyd, Tom Dixon, Ilse Crawford, or Zaha Hadid participate. International design labels such as Boffi, Cappellini, Cassina, and Poltrona Frau have already discovered this attractive discourse a while back. What had been conceived as a fringe event of the “100% design fair” 12 years ago, turned out to be a smash hit: the 2014 edition counted more than 350 events and exhibitions. Even the luxury department store Harrods declared that “Harrods is Design” during the event.

Barbara Benz’ favourites

Under the slogan “A place called home”, visitors could discover four living concepts on Trafalgar Square, created in cooperation with Airbnb – by Studioilse, Rawedges, Patternity, and Jasper Morrison.

What does the word “home” actually mean? Right here and now? With their typically British interpretations, the designers offered plenty to talk about.

Especially the latter, as Morrison presented its house as a minimalistic loft. The master designer commented: “Who wants to live in the middle of Trafalgar Square?” The best brands; the most exceptional new talent. Designjunction unites it all as one of the best locations in London, with an unassuming slogan: “Leading destination for contemporary interior design and culture”.

The very active platform for the fourth time honoured themselves on the occasion of the festival. More than 180 exhibitors – from Alessi to Zanotta – gathered on the four storeys of the Old Sorting Office on London’s Old Oxford Street. The refreshing mix of classics and newcomers continually offers exciting products and engaged young designers.

Feel like a break?

Visitors with smoke coming out of their ears after so much interior and design can have a breather in the garden of the Victoria & Albert Museum while admiring Zaha Hadid’s “Crest”. The experimental sculpture – a foretaste of the architect’s latest Dubai hotel project – poetically spans the length of the large water basin. Inside the museum, the glass poet Jeremy Maxwell Wintrebert surprises visitors with his “Human Nature” installation. Characteristic of his work is the interplay between light and shape. The installation left Barbara Benz so inspired that she instantly ordered a few of his items for her stores in Stuttgart and Nagold.

Design Affair with Max Fraser

Do you have a question about British design? Or are you rather looking for the most creative hotspot of the British metropolis? Then, just ask Max Fraser. The 35-year-old Brit can be considered London’s design encyclopaedia. Everything he creates and does revolves around design:He is a commentator, moderator, consultant as well as publisher and founder of Spotlight Press, which publishes the annual London Design Guide since 2010, a modern stronghold of creative studios, boutiques, bookshops, and hotspots of the city. Since 2012, Fraser supports the London Design Festival. As a Deputy Director, he until now coordinated the marketing, strategy, and communication. Starting March this year, he will assist as a Freelance consultant and editor. In September 2014, Barbara Benz ran into Fraser and asked him for a short statement.

How do you feel the London Design Festival can be improved even further?

There’s plenty. The festival enjoys a great global reputation. We are well positioned in the fields of product and furniture design thanks to our close collaboration with companies. Next, we will focus on stronger promotion of graphic and digital design. In addition, we need to in future make sure that every single showroom joins the festival with new and “cool” projects, not just putting a chair in their shop window and calling it an exhibition.

What is the festival’s great trump card?

Its character is shaped by individual design districts. These have changed a lot over the last few years: new districts have sprouted up and more and more energy is put into the presentation. Many have now recognised how important the festival is for the design metropolis London. As such, London has taken a great step forward. The installations and conceptional works are real highlights.

And the main shortcoming?

Design Festival is unfortunately not yet a real attraction for the general public. The London Fashion Show, for example, is a lot more present – already in the media alone. This is perhaps also due to the fact that a large part of the public would rather look at a pretty woman than a chair. And London is simply too big to advertise the festival with banners and posters at reasonable cost.